The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)

by William Shakespeare

  It's true, he's made the lame jump up and run away.

  GLOSTER.

  But you have done more miracles than I;

  You made in a day, my lord, whole towns to fly.

  But you have done more miracles than me;

  you made whole towns disappear, my lord, in a day.

  [Enter BUCKINGHAM.]

  KING.

  What tidings with our cousin Buckingham?

  What news does our cousin Buckingham have?

  BUCKINGHAM.

  Such as my heart doth tremble to unfold.

  A sort of naughty persons, lewdly bent,

  Under the countenance and confederacy

  Of Lady Eleanor, the protector's wife,

  The ringleader and head of all this rout,

  Have practis'd dangerously against your state,

  Dealing with witches and with conjurers,

  Whom we have apprehended in the fact,

  Raising up wicked spirits from underground,

  Demanding of King Henry's life and death,

  And other of your highness' privy-council,

  As more at large your Grace shall understand.

  News which my heart trembles to reveal.

  A group of wicked people, with bad intentions,

  with the protection and agreement

  of Lady Eleanor, the wife of the protector,

  the ringleader and instigator of all this business,

  has been indulging in dangerous practices against your country,

  working with witches and magicians,

  whom we caught in the act,

  summoning wicked spirits from hell,

  asking about the life and death of King Henry,

  and other members of your Highness' privy council,

  as your Grace shall find out in more detail soon.

  CARDINAL.

  [Aside to Gloster.] And so, my lord protector,

  by this means

  Your lady is forthcoming yet at London.

  This news, I think, hath turn'd your weapon's edge;

  'T is like, my lord, you will not keep your hour.

  And so, my lord protector, I think this means

  that your lady will be appearing in London.

  This news, I think, will stop you from fighting;

  I don't think, my lord, that you will keep your appointment.

  GLOSTER.

  Ambitious churchman, leave to afflict my heart.

  Sorrow and grief have vanquish'd all my powers;

  And, vanquish'd as I am, I yield to thee,

  Or to the meanest groom.

  Ambitious churchman, let me nurse my heart.

  Sorrow and grief have taken away all my strength;

  defeated as I am, I surrender to you,

  or to the lowest groom.

  KING.

  O God, what mischiefs work the wicked ones,

  Heaping confusion on their own heads thereby!

  Oh God, what evils wicked people do,

  bringing disaster down on their own heads by doing it!

  QUEEN.

  Gloster, see here the tainture of thy nest;

  And look thyself be faultless, thou wert best.

  Gloucester, you see how your house has been tainted;

  I hope for your sake you can prove your innocence.

  GLOSTER.

  Madam, for myself, to heaven I do appeal,

  How I have lov'd my king and commonweal;

  And, for my wife, I know not how it stands.

  Sorry I am to hear what I have heard;

  Noble she is; but if she have forgot

  Honour and virtue, and convers'd with such

  As like to pitch defile nobility,

  I banish her my bed and company,

  And give her as a prey to law and shame,

  That hath dishonoured Gloster's honest name.

  Madam, for myself, I swear before heaven,

  I have always loved my King and country;

  as for my wife, I don't know what's happened.

  I am sorry to hear what I have heard;

  she is noble; but if she has forgotten

  honour and goodness, and associated with those

  likely to stain nobility like tar,

  I dismiss her from my bed and my presence,

  and hand her over to her shame and to the law,

  one who has dishonoured the good name of Gloucester.

  KING.

  Well, for this night we will repose us here;

  To-morrow toward London back again,

  To look into this business thoroughly,

  And call these foul offenders to their answers,

  And poise the cause in justice' equal scales,

  Whose beam stands sure, whose rightful cause prevails.

  Well, for tonight we will rest here;

  tomorrow we will go back to London,

  to investigate this business thoroughly,

  and make these evil criminals answer for their crimes,

  and weigh the case on the equal scales of justice,

  whose balance is always right, always fair.

  [Flourish. Exeunt.]

  [Enter YORK, SALISBURY, and WARWICK.]

  YORK.

  Now, my good Lords of Salisbury and Warwick,

  Our simple supper ended, give me leave

  In this close walk to satisfy myself,

  In craving your opinion of my title,

  Which is infallible, to England's crown.

  Now, my good lords of Salisbury and Warwick,

  that we have finished our simple supper, allow me

  in this private walk to satisfy my curiosity

  as to what you think of my claim,

  which cannot be denied, to the crown of England.

  SALISBURY.

  My lord, I long to hear it at full.

  My Lord, I long to hear it fully explained.

  WARWICK.

  Sweet York, begin; and if thy claim be good,

  The Nevils are thy subjects to command.

  Sweet York, begin; if your claim is true,

  then the Nevils will be at your command.

  YORK.

  Then thus:

  Edward the Third, my lords, had seven sons:

  The first, Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales;

  The second, William of Hatfield; and the third,

  Lionel Duke of Clarence; next to whom

  Was John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster;

  The fifth was Edmund Langley, Duke of York;

  The sixth was Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloster;

  William of Windsor was the seventh and last.

  Edward the Black Prince died before his father

  And left behind him Richard, his only son,

  Who after Edward the Third's death reign'd as king;

  Till Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster,

  The eldest son and heir of John of Gaunt,

  Crown'd by the name of Henry the Fourth,

  Seiz'd on the realm, depos'd the rightful king,

  Sent his poor queen to France, from whence she came,

  And him to Pomfret, where, as all you know,

  Harmless Richard was murther'd traitorously.

  So this is it:

  Edward the Third, my lords, had seven sons:

  the first was Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales;

  the second, William of Hatfield; and the third,

  Lionel Duke of Clarence; after him

  came John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster;

  the fifth was Edmund Langley, Duke of York;

  the sixth was Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester;

  William of Windsor was the seventh and last.

  Edward the Black Prince died before his father,

  and left behind him Richard, his only son,

  who reigned as King after the death of Edward the Third;

  until Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster,

  the eldest son and
heir of John of Gaunt,

  crowned under the name of Henry the Fourth,

  seized the country, overthrew the rightful king,

  sent his poor queen back to her home country of France,

  and sent him to Pomfret, where, as you all know,

  harmless Richard was treacherously murdered.

  WARWICK.

  Father, the duke hath told the truth;

  Thus got the house of Lancaster the crown.

  Father, the Duke is telling the truth;

  this is how the house of Lancaster got the crown.

  YORK.

  Which now they hold by force and not by right;

  For Richard, the first son's heir, being dead,

  The issue of the next son should have reign'd.

  Which they now hold by force and not by right;

  for when Richard, the heir of the first son died,

  the children of the next son should have ruled.

  SALISBURY.

  But William of Hatfield died without an heir.

  But William of Hatfield died childless.

  YORK.

  The third son, Duke of Clarence, from whose line

  I claim the crown, had issue, Philippe, a daughter,

  Who married Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March.

  Edmund had issue, Roger Earl of March;

  Roger had issue, Edmund, Anne, and Eleanor.

  The third son, Duke of Clarence, through whom

  I claim the crown, had children, Philippe, a daughter,

  who married Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March.

  Edmund had children, Roger Earl of March;

  Roger had children, Edmund, Anne and Eleanor.

  SALISBURY.

  This Edmund, in the reign of Bolingbroke,

  As I have read, laid claim unto the crown;

  And, but for Owen Glendower, had been king,

  Who kept him in captivity till he died.

  But to the rest.

  I have read that in the reign of Bolingbroke

  this Edmund laid claim to the Crown;

  if it hadn't been for Owen Glendower he would have been king,

  but he kept him imprisoned until he died.

  But go on.

  YORK.

  His eldest sister, Anne,

  My mother, being heir unto the crown,

  Married Richard Earl of Cambridge, who was son

  To Edmund Langley, Edward the Third's fifth son.

  By her I claim the kingdom; she was heir

  To Roger Earl of March, who was the son

  Of Edmund Mortimer, who married Philippe,

  Sole daughter unto Lionel Duke of Clarence.

  So, if the issue of the elder son

  Succeed before the younger, I am king.

  His eldest sister, Anne,

  my mother, who was heir to the crown,

  married Richard Earl of Cambridge, who was son

  of Edmund Langley, the fifth son of Edward the Third.

  I claim the kingdom through her; she was heir

  of Roger Earl of March, who was the son

  of Edmund Mortimer, who married Philippe,

  the only daughter of Lionel the Duke of Clarence.

  So, if the children of the older son

  succeed ahead of the younger, I am king.

  WARWICK.

  What plain proceeding is more plain than this?

  Henry doth claim the crown from John of Gaunt,

  The fourth son; York claims it from the third.

  Till Lionel's issue fails, his should not reign;

  It fails not yet, but flourishes in thee

  And in thy sons, fair slips of such a stock.--

  Then, father Salisbury, kneel we together;

  And in this private plot be we the first

  That shall salute our rightful sovereign

  With honour of his birthright to the crown.

  What could be more obvious than this?

  Henry is claiming the crown through John of Gaunt,

  the fourth son; York is claiming it through the third.

  Until Lionel's line fails, Gaunt's line should not reign;

  it hasn't yet failed, but is flourishing in you

  and in your sons, sweet flowers of such a plant.

  So, for Salisbury, let us kneel together;

  and in this private garden let us be the first

  to salute our rightful king

  and honour his birthright to the crown.

  BOTH.

  Long live our sovereign Richard, England's king!

  Long live our sovereign Richard, England's King!

  YORK.

  We thank you, lords. But I am not your king

  Till I be crown'd, and that my sword be stain'd

  With heart-blood of the house of Lancaster;

  And that's not suddenly to be perform'd,

  But with advice and silent secrecy.

  Do you as I do in these dangerous days,--

  Wink at the Duke of Suffolk's insolence,

  At Beaufort's pride, at Somerset's ambition,

  At Buckingham, and all the crew of them,

  Till they have snar'd the shepherd of the flock,

  That virtuous prince, the good Duke Humphrey;

  'T is that they seek, and they in seeking that

  Shall find their deaths, if York can prophesy.

  I thank you, Lords. But I'm not your king

  until I'm crowned, and my sword is stained

  with the heart blood of the house of Lancaster;

  and that can't be done all at once,

  it needs planning and silent secrecy.

  I want you to do what I do in these dangerous days–

  turn a blind eye to the Duke of Suffolk's insolence,

  Beaufort's pride, Somerset's ambition,

  at Buckingham, and the whole crew of them,

  until they have brought down their highest man,

  that good prince, good Duke Humphrey;

  that's what they want, and in looking for that

  they will kill themselves, if York can predict the future.

  SALISBURY.

  My lord, break we off; we know your mind at full.

  My Lord, let's stop here; we know exactly what you want.

  WARWICK.

  My heart assures me that the Earl of Warwick

  Shall one day make the Duke of York a king.

  My heart promises me that the Earl of Warwick

  will one day crown the Duke of York as king.

  YORK.

  And, Nevil, this I do assure myself:

  Richard shall live to make the Earl of Warwick

  The greatest man in England but the king.

  And, Nevil, I promise myself

  that Richard will live to make the Earl of Warwick

  the greatest man in England besides the king.

  [Exeunt.]

  [Sound trumpets. Enter the KING, the QUEEN, GLOSTER,

  YORK, SUFFOLK, and SALISBURY; the DUCHESS OF GLOSTER,

  MARGERY JOURDAIN, SOUTHWELL, HUME, and BOLINGBROKE,

  under guard.]

  KING.

  Stand forth, Dame Eleanor Cobham, Gloster's wife.

  In sight of God and us, your guilt is great;

  Receive the sentence of the law for sins

  Such as by God's book are adjudg'd to death.--

  You four, from hence to prison back again,

  From thence unto the place of execution.

  The witch in Smithfield shall be burn'd to ashes,

  And you three shall be strangled on the gallows.--

  You, madam, for you are more nobly born,

  Despoiled of your honour in your life,

  Shall, after three days' open penance done,

  Live in your country here in banishment,

  With Sir John Stanley, in the Isle of Man.

  Step forward, Dame Eleanor Cobham, wife of Gloucester.

  You are guilty of a terrible offence in the eyes of us and God;<
br />
  receive the sentence of the law for these crimes

  which the Bible decrees shall be death–

  you four shall be taken from here back to prison,

  and from there to the place of execution.

  The witch shall be burned to ashes at Smithfield,

  and you three shall be hanged.

  You, madam, as you are of more noble birth,

  having permanently soiled your honour,

  shall, after you have done three days of public penance,

  live in internal exile in your country,

  with Sir John Stanley, on the Isle of Man.

  DUCHESS.

  Welcome is banishment; welcome were my death.

  Exile is welcome; my death would be just as welcome.

  GLOSTER.

  Eleanor, the law, thou seest, hath judged thee;

  I cannot justify whom the law condemns.--

  [Exeunt Duchess and the other prisoners, guarded..]

  Mine eyes are full of tears, my heart of grief.

  Ah, Humphrey, this dishonour in thine age

  Will bring thy head with sorrow to the ground!--

  I beseech your majesty, give me leave to go;

  Sorrow would solace, and mine age would ease.

  Eleanor, the law, as you can see, has judged you;

  I can't excuse someone condemned in law–

  [The Duchess and the other prisoners leave]

  My eyes are full of tears, my heart full of sorrow.

  Ah, Humphrey, this dishonour at your age

  will bow your head down to the ground with sorrow!

  I beg your Majesty for permission to leave;

  that would comfort me in my sorrow, help me in my old age.

  KING.

  Stay, Humphrey Duke of Gloster.

  Ere thou go,

  Give up thy staff; Henry will to himself

  Protector be, and God shall be my hope,

  My stay, my guide, and lantern to my feet.

  And go in peace, Humphrey, no less belov'd

  Than when thou wert protector to thy king.